Anycast sends one address to multiple places
Anycast means many servers around the world share one address, and you reach whichever is nearest.
It is how large services stay fast and how they absorb denial of service attacks, by spreading the load across many locations rather than concentrating it. The practical consequence for investigation is that the same address is many machines, so "we connected to this IP" is a less precise statement than it looks.
More on Internet routing
- BGP announces reachability, not truthA claim, not a proof
- BGP hijacking can redirect traffic before applications see itThe points move under the train
- Route leaks can be accidental and disruptiveThe whole motorway down a side lane
- RPKI validates route origins, not the whole pathOnly the first pair of hands is signed for
- More specific Internet routes usually winThe narrower claim takes it
- Route filtering is Internet hygieneWe all drink from the same main